Between September and November 2023, Willoughby City Council conducted extensive community engagement on four rate rise options to potentially apply in the 2024/25 financial year.
After considering the results of this engagement, Council (at its 27 November 2023 meeting) selected a 15% rate rise as its preferred option (incorporating a 10% Special Rate Variation and 5% NSW Government rate peg) to inform the preparation of an application to the Independent Pricing and Regulatory Tribunal (IPART).
The proposed rate increase will assist Council to:
- Recover from the financial impacts of high inflation outstripping Council’s average rates by 15.3% between 2021 and 2023
- Continue to deliver highly-valued services to the community
- Increase Council’s ability to absorb future financial, extreme weather and growth shocks; and
- Provide capacity to maintain and renew community assets
The proposed rate rise will also allow Council to allocate an additional $2 million a year in additional cleaning, care and beautification projects in parks, cycling and walking routes and town centres, and for tree planting and maintenance programs.
Between 30 November 2023 and 14 January 2024, Council sought community feedback on revised corporate planning documents (Long Term Financial Plan and Delivery Program) which reflect the proposed rate increase.
At an additional meeting on 30 January 2024, Council adopted the revised Long Term Financial Plan and Delivery Program and endorsed the lodgement of a rate rise application to IPART. The endorsed corporate planning documents are available on this page.
The application was lodged on 5 February 2024 and is available at the link.
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